The present invention relates to a method of producing a semiconductor device most suitable for use in a thin solar battery.
In a method heretofore employed for producing a semiconductor device for use in a thin solar battery or the like, a semiconductor element is usually formed by polishing a bulk single-crystal of, for instance, silicon (Si). Therefore, in the conventional method, it is very difficult to form a thin film of semiconductor the thickness of which is on the order of microns; and even if such a thin film can be produced, the amount of material that can utilized will be as low as several percent or less of the total. Moreover, even if the conventional evaporation process or sputtering process is employed to produce a thin film, production of a high-quality crystalline film can hardly be expected.
In addition, there has been an urgent need of a high-quality semiconductor device for use in a thin solar battery, light in weight, inexpensive, easy to transport and whose thickness is on the order of microns.